Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XIII Look At This Photograph

This is a cute, fluffy one shot between a pairing I have come to adore: Snow x Tifa. Both of them are so alike (both fight with their fists, are exceptionally kind and protect their loved ones to the fullest) and fit so well together as a couple and as friends. This fanfiction was inspired by the beautiful piece of fanart, "Calming Togetherness", made by Binso on DeviantArt so please check this amazing person's account.

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I couldn't help but smile as I flipped through the scrapbook we had been making. It was almost full now, the pages were bursting with photographs, stickers, loose notes and other things Tifa could lay her hands on. I couldn't help but feel a little down heartened that the scrapbook would soon be finished. But the anticipation of knowing another one would soon be in the making kept the slight sadness at bay.

I absentmindedly flipped through the pages, never really giving much thought to the order I was going at, simply content with just looking. Until one photograph caught my attention. It was of Tifa and I. Most of the photos were either of the two of us together or with a group of friends, so it wasn't surprising that this photo had been tucked away quietly within the sand coloured pages. Both of us were smiling and I had my arms wrapped around her waist as I laughed into the long expanse of her pale neck. She was smiling a gentle teasing grin, most likely at my antics the late afternoon the photograph was taken.

Back then, many would have thought '_The two of 'em – they have to be together! There's no way that they can't!_' And back then, we weren't. We never had been a couple for as long as I could remember. Back then the two of us were just friends. Or were we? This photo showed everything but two friends having a good old laugh. The beautiful woman in the photo held such soft affection in her gentle open face as she gazed lovingly at the goof hugging her from behind. And from the laugh he gave her in response, one only needed to look at his utmost adoration for the girl he held tightly in his arms, as if letting her go had never been an option to him.

It's funny how a photograph captures and makes such a simple moment even more beautiful than it really is. It also makes you see, no. It wakes you up from a still and silent dream, opening your eyes to realise that sometimes reality is even more exciting than a dream. And when I woke up, I didn't see_ her._ I saw _Tifa._

Tifa had always been attractive. That I couldn't deny. I'm a man after all. But I was also the hero and heroes were meant to protect; they were meant to fight for those that couldn't protect themselves. Naturally, I felt drawn to those weaker than I was, the ones that needed my protection – it was the only assurance that made me feel that I could be there for someone, that I was needed and wanted. And Tifa didn't need that. She was strong, she was brave and she was independent. She knew how to fight and how to protect herself from attackers and more, how to throw herself in harms way and in front of the ones she held dear. How could anyone not admire her for it? That trait alone was enough to make her attractive to the opposite sex. She was also kind, exceptionally understanding with an unusual amount of patience for those that didn't deserve it, probably from having me as practice.

When it came to the physical qualities she was definitely a stunner, having certain traits my ex never had. As myself I knew that I had promised myself to another girl. But as an ordinary man, I couldn't fend off her overwhelming sensuality and lovely charm. She was a woman, curvaceous with a 'nice-set-of-C-or-D-assets' as Gadot described them, with a pretty face framed by beautiful thick straight hair any man would want to tangle their hands in. Tifa was the full package. And what was more, she never even realised what she had or why. Nor did she ever notice the way she made people stop and stare. And that made her even more charming. How could she have known the affect she had on the people around her? Only I knew how shy Tifa truly was and how self-conscious she could be about her looks, personality and confidence. But that didn't stop heads from turning.

And it made my blood boil when people looked and it only got worse when Cloud and Tifa, were no longer an item. I never really understood my feelings then. Feelings of jealousy for another girl that you couldn't have, that you never even thought of having a relationship with, had never been an option. And why would she choose her best friend, a friend that only knew how to protect? Or was I just scared that I could never be with someone that didn't need my protection and thus my love. Was I even entitled to protect her? I was her best friend after all and even friends had to look out for one another. I could be protective over her; that was it. I couldn't feel any anger. I couldn't feel any emotional attachment. I already had Serah. I had found the girl that I would love and protect for the rest of my existence and beyond – until she found _Noel_.

I remember little from our breakup. I don't recall the pain I felt when she told me she had found someone else to love. I can't remember what I felt when she closed the door on me, on our relationship the night she left. The only memory that had forever been etched into my mind was when Tifa held me in her arms, wrapping me in a protective embrace as I cried myself to sleep from a drunken stupor.

Everything after that blurred into one, as did our relationship. Our respective partners were gone. Nothing was holding us back anymore. Everything felt so natural and easy. We simply gravitated towards one another. Like usual, every Sunday the two of us would walk to our favourite ice-cream parlor, chocolate for me and vanilla for her. Now we ordered one cone with two scoops in both flavors. There were days I helped her brush her long black hair with a soft paddle brush whenever it got tangled from training. I use my own hands now, simply content on feeling the soft silky tresses run through my fingers. Nights when we weren't with our ex's we would watch a cheesy comedy on the couch, sometimes falling asleep on each other's shoulders. Now, my head finds its way on her lap or hers, resting against my chest. And a friendly harmless spar that usually ended in an idiotically funny heap on the ground, lead to the gentlest kiss I've ever felt brush my lips.

We never went on dates. We didn't need to. Everything we had as of this moment was all we needed. We didn't need a dinner at a restaurant that began with your girlfriend's favourite flowers. Tifa and I had already done that for her birthday, twice, before I met Serah. We didn't need to constantly buy gifts to prove that we loved one another. For Christmas, the guys and NORA and AVALANCHE surprised me with a brand new motorcycle. It was Tifa's idea and she had refused to let anyone help her pay for it. Every little detail one needed for a date was already done. For the ten years I had known her, Tifa and I had been dating, without even realising it.

And the photograph I was now gazing at, was of the very day we had decided to tell everyone that we were finally in a relationship. Everyone was smiling. Everyone laughed. People were happy with the news. That night, I saw her as the most beautiful person I had ever met and fallen deeply in love with.

The sound of rustling sheets from behind alerted me from my quiet moment of reminiscing. Tifa was finally awake. Pulling up the sheets to cover the nakedness of her body, in the warm golden light of the sun, she appeared to be glowing, just like her beautiful smile. She looked heavenly.

"Hey." She said softly. She gave me her signature smile, gentle, full of patience and somewhat shy.

"Hey." I replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Hmm, the bed felt empty when I woke up." She said with a teasing glint in her eye.

"Wow – guess I must be pretty good in bed if you miss me _that _much." I said lightly, knowing what would happen.

A beautiful pink blush began to dust her cheeks. She looked away embarrassed, memories of last night's hunger for one another rushing back to her head.

"I should have known you would make a sexual comment out of that." She muttered to herself.

"What do you mean 'sexual'? I'm merely stating the obvious!" I gave her a tight grin.

"If I remember, you were the one that pushed me against the front door first." She murmured, refusing to look at me in the eyes.

I laughed as I continued to tease her. "If _I _remember you seemed to be the very willing participant."

She responded by pushing my shoulder playfully. "Oh stop it."

"What? You too embarrassed and stubborn to admit that you're completely swept away by my giant sex appeal?"

For that she gave me a friendly whack against the head, which I neatly ducked.

Finally, she pulled herself closer to me, lying on her front, to look at my previous activities. "You're adding to the scrapbook?"

"Nah – just looking through it. Just remembering the different things we've done together."

I saw her dark eyes glance over at the page I was currently looking at, watching them soften to deep mahogany.

"I remember when that was taken." She said softly. "That was taken at 7th Heaven, just before New Years Day, when we told everyone that we were a couple."

"That was two years ago." I smiled at her.

"Everyone seemed so happy about it."

"Perhaps a little too enthusiastic."

"Hope, the most."

"Nah – he was happy but there was one person in that room that beat him on the 'happiness' scale."

"Who?"

"_Me_, of course."

The soft blush that tinted her cheeks darkened as she finally grasped what I was trying to say. When she finally turned her face towards mine, she took me by surprise as she found the courage to lean forwards and press her lips against mine. Not that I saw any problem with that, as I brought my free hand to her hair, letting my fingers run gently down the side of her face. The kiss was tender, contrasting last night's desperate lust. I kissed her slower, taking my time as the warm and wonderful feeling of knowing I would always belong to this beautiful woman, slowly drove my mind into a haze. Finally we pulled apart but I refused to let her pull away from me, our noses still brushing against one another.

"I can't understand. Why didn't I see it?" I murmured.

"See – see what?" she asked quietly.

I pressed my forehead against hers, my eyes closing. Never had I felt more at peace before, my heart bursting with happiness.

"_You_. You of all people. I finally see _you, _Tifa."


End file.

Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XIII